Device to prevent rotation of bobbins



Patented Dec. 30, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HAROLD L. BLANCHARD, OF NO'RTHBRIDGE, AND WALTER H. WAKEFIELD, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOBS TO CRMPUO l& KNOWLES LOOM WORKS, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

DEVICE TO PREVENT ROTATION OF BOBBINS.

Application led March 26, 1924. Serial No. 702,169.

To all Vwlwm t may concern.'

Be it known that we, HAROLD L. BLAN- CHARD and WALTER II. WAKEFIELD, citizens of the United States, residing at Northbridge and Worcester, respectively, in the county of Worcester and State of Massachusetts, -have invented a new and useful Device to Prevent Rotation of Bobbins7 .of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in weft replenishing mechanism for looms and more particularly to means for preventing the rolling of bobbins on their axes in such mechanism.

In the usual type of multi-color weft replenishing mechanism the bobbins are arranged in vertical compartments according to color or other distinguishing characteristic and are moved by suitable discharge mechanism to transfer position. It has been found when the filling is ne, causing the bobbins to remain in the replenishing mechanism for a considerable length of time before transfer, that the ends which extendr to the thread holder are likely to be entangled with each other due to the rolling of the bobbins on their axes.

The type of bobbin usually employed in weft replenishing mechanisms has the butt or head thereof provided with a plurality of open rings which are snapped onto the heads of the bobbins in such a way as to leave the ends of the ring spaced, thus forming on the bobbin a slight depression or notch for each ring. The rings are so placed that the notches are distributed around the head of the bobbin so that no two are in alignment. It is an important object of our invention to provide means for utilizing the notches defined by the ends of the rings to prevent rotation of the bobbins. Accordingly, we have provided each compartment with a wall equipped with resilient detents so placed as to fit into one or another of the notches formed on each bobbin to prevent objectionable movements of the bobbins. The detents are preferably withdrawn at the time of indication of weft exhaustion to permit the bobbins t0 descend as the operation of the replenishing mechanism requires.

It is another object of our invention to prevent rolling of the bobbins by providing each compartment with a wall movable throughout its length laterally with respect to the bobbins into engagement therewith7 such mechanism being moved by the replenishing mechanism at indication of weft eX- haustion to release the bobbins.

A still further object of our invention is to provide each compartment of a weft replenishing mechanism of the type mentioned with ya wall which shall be movable positively both to engage and to release the bobbins and so arranged that the wall is held positively in both positions.

With these and other objects in View which will appear as the description proceeds, our invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and set forth in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing, wherein We have shown one form of our invention,

Fig. l is an end elevation of a weft replenishing mechanism employing our invention as viewed from the center of the loom to which it is applied,

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken on line 2 2 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken on line 3 3 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 41 is a fragmentary section taken on line l--l of Fig. 3,

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the mocyable walls embodied in our invention, an f Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view showing on an enlarged scale a portion of the resilient detent member.

In carrying out our invention we provide a weft replenishing mechanism having a frame 10 supported by means of a foot 11 bolted or otherwise secured to the loom side and having formed therewith a plurality offianges 12, 13, 14 and 15, respectively, each of which formsl one wall of a bobbin compartment. Mounted for vertical movement on the frame 10 are slides 16, 17, 18 and 19, respectively, which are similar to each other and are each provided with upper lugs 20 and lower lugs 21. A longitudinally and'angularly movable rod 22 under control of the boX mechanism (not shown) has secured thereto a finger for each pair of vertical slides,y one finger being shown in Fig. 2 and indicated at 23. The rod 22 is moved lengthwise as the boxes change so that the fingers thereon will be in operative relation Which is to cause the lovvermost bobbin tcV with the vertical slide correspending*to4 the' active shuttel. Said'rod 22 is given' an angular motion to lift the fingers at indication of weft/exhaustion and is given a periodic downward motion every two picks of `the loom. Y

At weft exhaustion the slide corresponding to the indicating shuttle is raisedtc rock the correspondingcradle (not shown) att-he bottom of the compartment, the effect of 'enter the cradle preparatory Vto its second motion toward transfer position. The mal'- ter thus far described is oldV in the art and for a more complete showing and descrip@` tion thereof, reference may be had toy Patent No.' 1,030,748. t

In carrying out our invention We provide each ofthe vertical slides:v 16, 17,18' andl 19f'vvitha vpair of slotted extensions which Y cooperate With' extensions-on the correspond- Associated with the slide 17 is a Wall 44 which is substantial-ly parallel to Wallor flange 13 and has offset therefrom upper and' lower ears '45 and 46, respectively.

n These ears areV provided vvith slots 47 and 48, respectively, Which receive the pins 42 and 43, respectively. The upper portion of' the lower ear is provided with a. horizontal slot 49 which receives a ypin 50 extending from a stationary part of the frame 10 and serves to guide the Wall 44 so that the sameV is held against vertical motion and can move in a horizontal direction only;V Y

The face of Wall 40 adjacent Wall 12 hasv secured thereto by rivets or other fastening' devices 51 a thin sheet of spring steel 52 which has struck up therefrom resilient lingers ,53 which are formedwith detente 54 as shown more particularly in Fig. 4. These deten-tsV extend awayfrom thevadjacent face of the Wall 44 and are arranged substantially as shown inFig. 2, the lingers being located in groupsof three Which are spaced a distance substantially equal to lthe diameter of the butts ofthe bobbins.

In thev operation of our invention `the slides are normallyV down andthe Walls 44 are held toward the bobbins in their respective compartments so that yone detent of leach group is in position to enter the notch which is in alignment with the. group of detents. At indication` of substantial weft exhaustion the'rod `22vvill be given an angular motion to move the fingers thereof upwardly to raise thev slider1Corresponding bobbins through the action o f pins 42 and 43 and slots 47 and 48, respect1vely Whichever slide is raised will remain inV suchposition with the corresponding bobbins re-k leasedA until transfer is about to take place, at which time the slide will be lowered, as described in;` the aforesaid YPatent ANo. 1,030,748 and the associated Wall 44 ;Will

again be moved toward the bobbins `pre viously released. As the bobbins descend they are'lilrely to 'take such positi-onsthat none of the notches formed by ther-ings Will be opposite the detents of lthe-c'orresponding resilient lingers.` Ifund'er these conditionsv the `pressure of'l the'v detents vagainst the rings does not preventrotation of thebobbins, the latter will* roll until one or another ofthe notches on each'bobbin vvill'appear opposite y a detent.A lhereup'onV the detent will enter thek notch and further rotationof the bob#` loinl Vvvill` be prevented.' :Since the f bobbiiis have three rings Which arerevenlyspaced,

it Will be seen that a one-thirdirotation :Will f suffice to bring" a notched operative relationship f 1t will be seen vfromfthe' foregoingthat We` have provided av 'weft replenishing detent into comechanism- Wherein each VWall vis provided .of theV bobbins are fitted, but We do not Wish to be'limited to this 'particular construction as our invention is equally applicable When a different number ofl detentsA lis employed and -When they maybe operatively'related to other styles of vnotches than those shown inthe drawing.v Also, it -Will bey seen that We have provided a Wall ymo-i'able Vpositively either to restrain, rotation of'thebobbinsor release thesame so that they Will be free to fall as the requirements ofthe replenishing mechanism demand and that the Wall is acted upon at a'plurality of points throughout its length so that it is movedl bodily Ato- Y` Ward the bobbins.

In order toholdthevvalls 44 ,against Y transverse displacement We provide retainV- erst() screwed tothe frame 1`O as at -61 and overlapping the lower ears v46'. VTheseV retainers are spaced. from the frame 'l'Osulii ciently to permit vfree motion of said ears 46., .VHaving thus described 'our` j invention it is apparentthat changes and modificationsV may be made therein by those skilled in the art Without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and We do not Wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, but what We claim is: V

l. In a weft replenishing mechanism for looms, a fixed Wall7 a movable Wall under control of the replenishing mechanism and `forming With the fixed Wall a compartment for bobbins, and resilient detents carried by the movable wall to enter notches formed in the bobbins to restrain rotation thereof.

2. In a loom, a weft replenishing mechanism, a compartment to receive a plurality of bobbins which descend by gravity in said compartment toward transfer position, the bobbins heilig loosely held in the compartment and having notches on the cylindrical portions thereof, and plurality of independently yieldable devices normally entering the notches to restrain rotation of the bobbins and movable under control of the replenishing mechanism at the time of transfer away from the notches to release the bobbins and permit them to fall unresisted by said devices toward transfer position.

In testimony whereof We have hereunto aliixed our signatures.

HAROLD L. BLANCHARD. VAL'IER I-I. VVAKEFIELD. 

